Before Prime Day ends, snag these 5 Amazon smart home gadgets for under $25

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release)

Was: $49.99

Now: $24.99 (50% off)

Overview: It's Amazon's best-sounding Echo Dot ever. Enjoy an improved audio experience compared to any previous Echo Dot with Alexa for clearer vocals, deeper bass, and vibrant sound in any room. It's powered by Alexa AI, which comeas in handy for weather, timers, alarms, and other queries you have for it.

Why we love it: It's small and unobtrusive, and the life-changing behaviors it engenders will fluidify your home life. Amazon also touts its privacy measures and doesn't sell personal information. Also, there's a physical button to slide the microphone off.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Was: $29.99

Now: $14.99 (50% off)

Overview: This easy-to-setup streaming service opens the floodgates of content. You can stream over 1.5 million movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, and more and listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply.

Why we love it: Performance is critical with streaming services and boxes, and Amazon's Fire Stick TV apparatus never lets us down. It's easy to add apps for more streaming choices, and the remote's clickiness is reliable and consistent, even after years of use. As for this deal specifically, you get a six-month subscription to MGM+, including access to thousands of Hollywood movies and Original series with your Fire TV purchase.

Amazon Echo Buds (2023 release)

Was: $49.99

Now: $24.99 (50% off)

Overview: The 2023 Echo Buds offer 20 hours of battery life (with the charging case) to power sound through 12mm drivers for crispy audio. You can also use Alexa via your iOS or Android device or use Google or Siri. Crucially for summertime, the Echo Buds are sweat-resistant and come in a range of sizes for the silicon buds, so they snugly fit into your ear and don't land on the sidewalk or slip through a subway grate (true story).

Why we love them: Price, price, price. Earbud costs are all over the map — from the ones you can buy for $10 at the gas station to the ones that cost multiple hundreds of dollars from Apple. But Amazon manages to match quality with price at $50 for these, and even better, at a 50% discount on Prime Day. Get these, even if they are your backups.

Amazon Echo Pop

Was: $39.99

Now: $17.99 (55% off)

Overview: The Amazon Echo Pop is, in a word, fun. The teensy smart speaker still manages to pump out full sound that can fill a small space — your bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen. Its beautiful price also might mean it's your first smart speaker. You can feel confident knowing it's not listening to you unless its distinctive blue light is on.

Why we love it: At just four inches tall and seven ounces in weight, the Ehco Pop has a single front-firing speaker that still manages lossless HD sound. If you get a few -- and you should for this reason -- you can connect it to other Echo Pop speakers throughout your home to create sound wherever you go. Listen to your podcast from your kitchen, then walk to your bedroom, and it's still on. It's like magic. It's better than a radio.

Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro

Was: $34.99

Now: $24.99 (29% off)

Overview: Sticking with the stock remote can be tempting if you've got a Fire TV. Sure, you might use it for a few years. But there's no better time to upgrade than right now, on Prime Day, to the Alexa Voice Remote Pro. It runs on two AAA batteries, has Bluetooth technology, and is compatible with most Fire TV devices.

Why we love it: It's not just a remote; it's a ~smart~ remote, which means you can speak directly into it to control your smart home. You can dim the lights, show the video from your front door camera, or check the weather if you want to go outside and are tired of watching TV.